KEY POINTS:
Peter Rixon has given up on his superstar Divisive beating Monkey King in the match-race of the Harness Jewels series on Saturday.
Well, not publicly anyway.
The New South Wales horseman has seen his New Zealand campaign hit two huge judder bars since it started so well last month.
After Divisive's effortless Taylor Mile victory he was rated a $1.60 chance to win the 4-year-old male section of the Jewels, and some pundits were even suggesting that was good money.
But since then he hasn't been able to get a monkey off his back. Monkey King to be exact.
The Kiwi turned the tables on Divisive just a week after the Taylor Mile when he thrashed him fair and square in the Messenger Championship.
That saw the pair sharing favouritism for the Jewels, an honour Monkey King cemented with another win at Addington and then, most importantly, drawing barrier two in Saturday's mile.
That suggests he will lead in a race robbed of much of its depth while Divisive has drawn one on the second line, a seemingly impossible obstacle to overcome on a front-runners track like Ashburton.
Their draws have seen Monkey King move into $1.45 favouritism while Divisive has drifted to $3.50. He is likely to start longer on Saturday, and deservedly so.
But Rixon, who both trains and drives Divisive, is putting on a brave face.
He gives the standard line that luck in the running will play a part and that a bad draw can sometimes be good.
Yet you don't have to dig far to realise he knows he will need a miracle come Saturday.
"It really is the one draw I didn't want," he admits.
"It means we can't use our gate speed while Monkey King should probably lead and I don't see too many attackers.
"We can still win if the race pans out right but maybe that won't happen."
Then Rixon shows why he is so well liked on both sides of the Tasman.
"I am not complaining because we have had plenty of good luck with draws with this horse and if Monkey King happens to beat us because of that, well he is a great horse and good luck to his people."
Divisive has not raced since the Messenger but pleased his trainer with his performance at the Pukekohe workouts last Tuesday.
"He goes good fresh and he needed a small break after the Messenger because he had raced three times in 14 days.
"But there won't be any excuses with fitness on Saturday."
Divisive is the first horse Rixon has campaigned in New Zealand and you get the impression he will be back, regardless of Saturday's result.
"I have loved the whole experience and meeting all the people over here.
"And I can't wait for Saturday. Not just our race, but the whole lot, with so many good horses in one place at one time."
Meanwhile, Monkey King's stablemate Montecito has been the biggest mover since the fields were finalised last Friday.
The much-improved 3-year-old has come in from $7 to $4.80 for his clash with Changeover in the last race of the day.
Montecito is the last horse to have beaten Changeover, downing the champion at Cambridge in January.
* Latest Jewels odds:
Four-year-old male pacers: $1.45 Monkey King; $3.50 Divisive; $15 Christian Spirit, Report For Duty; $18 Classic Line; $31 Marvin Royce; $51 Pacific Reign, Beau Rivage; $61 Jimbob Jac; $81 Buster Mee, The Adman; $101 Star Decision; $151 Sand Express.
* Three-year-old male pacers: $1.55 Changeover; $4.80 Montecito; $7.50 Gotta Go Cullen; $16 Rocket Reign; $18 Washakie; $21 Days Of Courage; $26 Mr Molly; $31 Zenad, St Barts; $61 Charles Bronson, Bad All Over; $81 The Gigolo; $121 Presentaball.
